Spatial Analysis of Contraceptive Use and Unmet Need in Kenya

Objective: The objective of this study was to examine the geographical variation in the use of modern contraceptive use and unmet need for family planning across Kenya and in Nairobi slums, and to identify associated individual and contextual determinants.

Methods: Data were obtained for women aged between 15-49 years from the 2008-09 Kenya Demographic Health Survey (DHS) and the Maternal and Child Health Project (2007-09) of the Nairobi Urban Health and Demographic Surveillance System (NUHDSS). Multilevel logistic regression was used to identify associated determinants of modern contraceptive use and unmet need, and spatial techniques used to map prevalence at district and village level for the national and slum data respectively.

Results: Significant variation in the prevalence of modern contraceptive use and unmet need was found among districts in Kenya. Age, educational attainment, parity, and household wealth were associated with contraceptive use and unmet need across Kenya and in Nairobi slums.

Conclusion: The geographical variation in modern contraceptive use and unmet need in Kenya suggests that unidentified district-level factors influence these outcomes and need to be the focus of strategies to address the low prevalence across parts of the country.

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